Merrill Nosler recently returned from the county of Lesotho in the Sub Saharan African region as a Peace Corps volunteer

She said she worked with a lot of youth groups there to train youth in the community. She mainly worked with youth between the ages of 13 to 20. "The most difficult thing for me was watching how children were treated and undervalued," Nosler said. "So the best thing for me was being able to help teach how to value the youth. Just having one kid grow up thinking they are valued from my presence there makes this all worth it." She said it was difficult at times to see cultural differences from America like beating punishments to instill fear. But rather than leaving, she wanted to take action and help educate other forms of teaching and helping youth. "Because the country invites us, they are usually accepting of our new ideas," she said. "That's why two years living there helps them know us and trust us." She said the commitment is well worth it for most volunteers. "It takes a two-year commitment because it takes a year to become comfortable and familiar with the culture," she said. "Then you work. I can completely understand why they do that."

Caption: Merrill Nosler, center, is shown with a group of young people she worked with while training them to become peer educators so they could teach others about HIV and AIDS.

In 2011, the Peace Corps will commemorate 50 years of promoting peace and friendship around the world.

One Folsom woman knows the benefits of the organization.

Merrill Nosler, 46, is a Folsom resident who recently returned from the county of Lesotho in the Sub Saharan African region as a Peace Corps volunteer.

She said the county is about the size of Maine. While there, she helped train teachers and teach the communities about health and education development.

"The country is dying because of AIDS," Nosler said. "I got placed in an area to teach and train about the prevention of HIV and AIDS."

She said she worked with a lot of youth groups there to train youth in the community. She mainly worked with youth between the ages of 13 to 20.

"The most difficult thing for me was watching how children were treated and undervalued," Nosler said. "So the best thing for me was being able to help teach how to value the youth. Just having one kid grow up thinking they are valued from my presence there makes this all worth it."

She said it was difficult at times to see cultural differences from America like beating punishments to instill fear. But rather than leaving, she wanted to take action and help educate other forms of teaching and helping youth.

"Because the country invites us, they are usually accepting of our new ideas," she said. "That's why two years living there helps them know us and trust us."

She said the commitment is well worth it for most volunteers.

"It takes a two-year commitment because it takes a year to become comfortable and familiar with the culture," she said. "Then you work. I can completely understand why they do that."

She said volunteers are given benefits while working including a stipends, safety protection and medical.

"I would encourage people to do it," Nosler said. "It's the toughest job I've ever loved."

She said the opportunity was amazing.

"To have the opportunity to become something bigger than myself has been life changing," she said. "It has opened my heart to something bigger than I ever experienced in America. To be fully immersed in another culture, I appreciate things so much more."

Nosler said if she doesn't go back into the Peace Corps, she hopes to work with a local non-profit organization because it would be had to do something else after what she experienced.

"To go there are see the hope was beautiful and to take an opportunity to go to something like the Peace Corps to see other cultures was wonderful," Nosler said. "We are all a part of the human race and to share their culture with America is part of the Peace Corps project."

Memo to Incoming Director WilliamsPCOL has asked five prominent RPCVs and Staff to write a memo on the most important issues facing the Peace Corps today. Issues raised include the independence of the Peace Corps, political appointments at the agency, revitalizing the five-year rule, lowering the ET rate, empowering volunteers, removing financial barriers to service, increasing the agency's budget, reducing costs, and making the Peace Corps bureaucracy more efficient and responsive. Latest: Greetings from Director Williams

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Story Source: Folsom Telegraph

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Lesotho

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